


A Chat's Worth

by mnzknight96



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22261978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnzknight96/pseuds/mnzknight96
Summary: Adrien has had enough. He has always done everything asked of him and has very little to show for it. It didn't matter he did things he hated. It didn't matter he risked his life for those he's loved. It didn't matter that for years no one has truly cared for him. Well, it does matter and he's gonna make sure those in his life realize what it is they're missing out on and if he happens to charm a certain dark-haired princess on the way, well that's neither here nor there.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Kudos: 45





	A Chat's Worth

I have always followed my mother's advice that love is something that takes patience and work. That in the end, if you truly show someone the love you have for them is sincere and allow them to know your real self, you will find happiness. My mother couldn’t have been more wrong. 

I have spent the last 12 years of my life following those very beliefs yet, all I have to show for it is sitting in the middle of the fanciest restaurant in all of Paris, dressed to the nines, once again waiting for my father to at least show-up. We were supposed to be celebrating his 38th birthday and for once Nathalie had allowed me to plan everything. I proudly walked into his office, having made an appointment beforehand. I was excited not suicidal and had given him a handcrafted invitation showing where and when the festivities would happen. Just as requested by Nathalie it was a private celebration between the two of them and Nathalie if she so chose to attend as well. Yet here I am, not for the first time, waiting on my father as he is now three hours late. 

Now, heaven knows I love my father to pieces but even I have my limits. It’s bad enough he couldn’t be bothered to give me a call or even shoot me a text letting me know of his absence but he has purposely been avoiding my calls and texts. Even the ever-present Nathalie has been ignoring any form of communication I’ve tried. She must be getting tired of the constant family drama. It wouldn’t even surprise me if they were both together actively ignoring me as has been the norm since mom disappeared all those years ago. 

The stares of the other guests are filled with pity as they keep glancing in my direction. Releasing a sigh I’ve been holding since it became obvious neither had any intention of showing. I call the waiter over and ask for the check. In an instant, the waiter returns carrying a tray with a drink of some sort. When he puts it in front of me I notice it’s bourbon. “I didn’t order this,” I say surprised by the man's mistake that could possibly lead him to be fired. “That sir is on the house, and as you didn’t order anything there is nothing for you to pay and if I may,” he stops waiting for my response and all I give him is a slight nod. ”I am sorry that those who you wanted to celebrate with have stood you up but, I believe that those who would leave you here, after going above and beyond for them do not deserve your loyalty.” Anger flared in my chest at his unsolicited advice but as I made an attempt to defend what was left of my family my mind came up blank. Cause he was right. 

Father has done absolutely nothing but disappoint me as I bend over backward trying to please him in everything he has thrown my way. Learning languages that I did not want to know, playing piano pieces that have bored me beyond belief, basketball, and even the modeling. God, I hate the modeling and still, I did it. The one thing I told him as a kid that I didn’t want to do growing up, which incidentally earned me a slap on the cheek for insubordination, is the very thing he has pushed for the most. Manipulating my need for his approval to get what he wants. 

The waiter coughs in his hand bringing my attention to him and he motions to the glass of bourbon almost as if he noticed my realization and my need for a drink. I down the contents of the glass like it’s water and it burns my throat but it’s a good burn. It's a foreign feeling, different from the constant numbness that has plagued me over the last couple of months as I make my transition from lycee to university and there’s a thought. On the day of my graduation, he didn’t show and instead had me do a shoot right after. I had even learned he tried to force the school to just send my diploma in the mail so that he could make the photoshoot an all-day event and like a dumbass, I had conceded to his whims but the school wouldn’t allow it. I had never been so grateful to the teachers for not allowing my father to have his way. Though the school couldn’t do anything about me missing the celebratory party with all my friends. The saving grace about that night was me looking forward to having dinner with Father and just like always, he didn’t show. 

Once again, the waiter grabbed my attention by handing me a tissue and I noticed a tear descending my cheek. I thanked him as I took the tissue and wiped away the tears. God, it has been such a long time since I’ve allowed myself to shed a single tear and now I’m beyond embarrassed that I’m doing this in front of a complete stranger. I get up before I can further inconvenience the waiter whose name I”m now remembering is Dennis.

“Thank you,” is all I can manage before my body automatically gives Dennis a hug. He’s understandably shocked at the gesture but it is only a moment before he returns the hug. Feeling further embarrassed by my actions I extract myself from him and make my way toward the exit. Once I’m outside I let my driver know that I will no longer be needing his services for the night and to make his way home. After taking care of that I wrap the scarf, the only gift Father has ever put any sort of thought into, around my neck to fight against the ever dropping temperature of the Parisian night. A sky blue scarf I once believed held his love but now only carries a lie. A lie I have been forcing myself to believe for the last couple of years, even with all the evidence shoved in my face time and again. 

I blend in naturally to the busy sidewalks of Paris letting the cat instincts, that bleed into my civilian life from the Black Cat miraculous, take control. They lead me to all sorts of places in Paris. I have been all over as Chat Noir and yet still exploring Paris feels like a new adventure but my heart just isn't in it today. I feel so irrevocably lost and alone in a city whose warmth seems to slip through my fingers a bit each day. 

The answers I seem to be seeking are nowhere to be found. Having no other course of action I turn to my phone. To find someone, anyone really, I can believe cares. Someone who can see the real me through the cracks of the perfect role I’m supposed to play perfectly. How can you expect someone to see the real you when you never allow anyone in. Plagg’s voice intrudes my thoughts as I’m reminded of our only argument in all the time we’ve been together. He keeps pushing me to show more of my real self even if only to Nino. Only he doesn’t understand. It is terrifying showing people, even those you trust completely, the parts about yourself you have been told constantly to hide as they are not up to the standard we’re supposed to be on. It's one of the reasons why I’m so grateful to have Plagg in my life. He has given me a freedom I have only ever dreamed of and an outlet behind a mask that allows me to be true to myself. Feeling a wave of gratitude flow through my chest I pat the spot on my jacket Plagg resides in as I hear the light snores of Plagg as he sleeps.

A few more minutes of searching on my phone reveal no one I can turn to. I’m not particularly close to anyone in my class besides Nino, Alya, and Marinette but they wouldn’t understand. They may have their own family problems like Alya’s father walking out on them but they persevered and her mother even managed to find someone who not only supported them but showed them a love that had been sorely lacking in their life. This change in their family had even brought two new additions she proudly calls the Sapotis. 

Nino had gone through a rough patch when his father had left them. The only difference is that he left a note letting them know that he had to go away for a while. His dad had some problems with substance abuse and he needed to get away from them before he did something he would regret. A year later he came back assuring them he was better but that it would be a constant battle to hold onto his sobriety. It took some work for them to fully take him back and now they live as a happy family constantly being there for one another. 

And finally, Marinette, who at first sight looks to have the perfect family. When really her grandpa had cut her father out of his life for having an interracial marriage and family on her mother’s side shunning Sabine for marrying a baker instead of a successful businessman that would bring honor to her family. And not to mention the rough time they went through when Marinette came out as a bisexual young lady. It had been a rough transition for them not because the Dupain-Chengs were homophobic but because they didn’t know how to interact with their daughter anymore. Which isn’t a bad thing. There was just some new territory to their relationship that they have actively worked on since. 

These amazing people I have been lucky to call friends couldn’t possibly understand me because for them when a family goes through a change whether good or bad they stand united. They come together and there is no force on earth that can break them apart but for my family, all there is are grown-ups behaving like children. Acting out when things don’t go their way and all that’s left is an actual child trying to put the pieces back together while expected to be fine with everything as he loses all those he loves. 

An explosion suddenly destroys the peace that encompassed the park I had managed to make my way towards. Though guilt churns in my stomach I silently thank Hawkmoth for the opportunity to punch something. Hopefully, in the face. Many, many times.


End file.
